MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – January 26, 2013

Mali ceasefire.ca: we don’t see proof of it happening, but it COULD, ya know, and we’re SURE France must-a asked“Will Canadian special forces soldiers be sent to Mali? Prime Minister Harper has clearly stated that his government is “not considering” a “direct” military role in the conflict in Mali. But can his words be trusted? Ceasefire.ca has seen no evidence that the Harper government is planning to send Canadian special forces to Mali, and we are not accusing the government of currently harbouring such a plan. But the possibility has almost certainly been raised by France and other allies, and the prospect of winning allied gratitude by contributing a small special forces unit to the fight in Mali could prove irresistible to the same Prime Minister who once assured Canadians that Canada would have no military presence in Afghanistan after 2011 ….”

Africa “Helicopters and personnel from (CFB Petawawa) will deploy to Western Africa in the next few weeks to support training of the region’s soldiers, the Department of National Defence has confirmed. An advance team of personnel from the Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR) is already in Niger in preparation for involvement in Flintlock 13, a multinational exercise that will conducted by the U.S. Africa Command in February and March. They will be supported by a small detachment of CH-146 Griffon helicopters, pilots, flight engineers and ground maintenance crews from 427th Special Operations Aviation Squadron (SOAS). The Petawawa deployment will not extend to the troubled country of Mali, the department said Monday. “Exercise Flintlock 13 involves the capacity building of several countries within the Western Africa Sahel Region which contributes to regional security,” Maj. Doug MacNair, a public affairs officer with Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) told the Daily Observer. “However, Mali is not participating in the exercise, nor are there plans for Canada to train Malian forces.” CSOR operators will provide training in reconnaissance, marksmanship, land navigation, and other basic military skills to Nigerien forces in their country. Closer to the start of Exercise Flintlock 13, the CSOR personnel and the Nigerien soldiers will move to the exercise location in Mauritania ….”

Way Up North (2) “Canada’s role in the circumpolar world will enter a critical phase in 2013. Canada will assume the role of chair of the Arctic Council. At the same time, it will submit coordinates to extend its continental shelf in the Arctic region. Both events will significantly alter Canada’s international standing. The government has also promised to begin building a large icebreaker and a new class of navy vessels capable of operating in the Arctic. Interested observers will face considerable challenges in trying to keep up with the pace of events. The Canadian government has already commenced developing policies to shape its two-year term as chair of the Arctic Council. The appointment of Canadian Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq as Canada’s senior Arctic official means that the government will be focusing on social, economic, and health priorities for the Arctic. This will represent a departure from the government’s previous focus on issues relating to sovereignty and security. That said, the government will still need to develop policies that focus on sovereignty and security issues as the Arctic region continues to integrate more and more with the rest of the world ….”

Oopsie…. “A transit police officer left a sample of an explosive substance on an Air Canada Boeing 767 after a dog training exercise in Vancouver, documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation show. That substance was never found. A Transit Police officer in Vancouver performed the training exercise on board the aircraft on 12 January 2011 at the Vancouver International airport. Two days later, the officer found the sample to be missing from his training kit. By the time he notified police, the Boeing 767 had landed in Toronto. The aircraft was checked there, and nothing was found. A search for the explosive sample at the officer’s home and the training area at the Vancouver International airport did not uncover the substance. A crew member that groomed the aircraft that night said he noticed a bottle that matched the profile of the sample, but he left it on the aircraft for the subsequent cleaning crew to dispose of when they took out the trash. That trash collected from the aircraft was later incinerated, but authorities did not find the specific container with the substance ….”